Many celebrities have seen their multi-million dollar mansions razed to the ground as the fire spread to Hollywood Hills and Calabasas, prompting criticism of city officials who have been blamed for failing to adequately prepare for the disaster.
The Calabasas blaze, named the Kenneth Fire, was allegedly caused by an arsonist, who has been apprehended by police. As of Friday morning, over 10,000 structures have been burned down, with a total of 29,053 acres of land scorched in one of Los Angeles' most horrific disasters to date.
Actor Mel Gibson has revealed that his LA mansion was burned to the ground whilst he was recording a podcast with Joe Rogan in Austin, Texas.
During his appearance on the Joe Rogan Experience, the Oscar winner shared how he did not yet know whether his home had been spared from the 'inferno' which had ripped through his neighbourhood.
However, appearing on NewsNation, the 69-year-old told host Elizabeth Vargas how he had arrived back in LA to find his Malibu home eviscerated.
'I was doing the Rogan podcast, I was kind of ill at ease while we were talking because I knew my neighbourhood was on fire, so I thought 'I wonder if my place is still there', but when I got home, sure enough, it wasn't there,' he said
'I've never seen such a complete burn, it is obviously devastating, it's emotional', he added.
Robert Luna, Los Angeles County Sheriff, has said a nighttime curfew across certain areas of LA has been planned.California's National Guard will be supporting local law enforcement in enforcing the curfew and patroling the impacted areas.
The announcement came amid reports of looting across the city. State governor Gavin Newsom took to social media late on Thursday evening to denounce looters.
The Democratic politician stated: 'Taking advantage of evacuated communties is absolutely sick.The damage caused to homes and infrastructure could total $150billion, according to AccuWeather.
Specialising in weather and its impact, the Associated Press (AP) reported that the company has increased its estimate of the economic impact of the fires.
With the original cause of the blazes yet to be determined, authorities have still not declared the fires a natural disaster.
Should they do so, these figures could see the LA fires become the second most costly natural disaster in the history of the United States, only behind Hurricane Katrina which had an estimated cost of $200billion in 2005.
Fire crews battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)
Paris Hilton made an emotional return to the charred remains of her Malibu beach house which was destroyed in the catastrophic fires throughout Southern California
It comes just one day after insiders told TMZ that the house had 'burned to a crisp' and the star herself revealed she saw the property 'burn to the ground on live TV.'
The TV personality, 43, had purchased the two-story residence in 2021 for $8.4 million - and once led down to La Costa beach.
Hilton shared a heartbreaking video to her Instagram page on Thursday as she discovered what was left of the property and got candid about being left in 'complete shock.'
She filmed the clip while walking through the remains of the entrance which was still standing, but then revealed that the rest of the house had been reduced to a pile of rubble after being destroyed in the Pacific Palisades fire.
Paris wrote, 'I'm standing here in what used to be our home, and the heartbreak is truly indescribable.''When I first saw the news, I was in complete shock - I couldn't process it. But now, standing here and seeing it with my own eyes, it feels like my heart has shattered into a million pieces.'
Paris Hilton made an emotional return to the charred remains of her Malibu beach house which was destroyed in the catastrophic fires throughout Southern California.
Sources told DailyMail.com that a resident called 911 to report a male attempting to set a fire at the 21700 block of Ybarra road at around 4.30pm.The suspect was arrested and taken to Topanga station.
An apocalyptic, fast moving fire that sparked mass evacuations in Calabasas is being investigated as an arson incident, with one suspect arrested.
The affluent suburbs of Calabasas and Hidden Hills, home to the Kardashians, have been issued an urgent evacuation order as a new apocalyptic fire tears through West Hills.
Heroic first responders were alerted to a new fire in the upper Los Angeles-Ventura County border, named the Kenneth Fire, spreading rapidly through the West Hills and encroaching upon homes in nearby Calabasas and Hidden Hills.
Officials issued a chilling warning on Thursday night urging residents not to ignore the evacuation orders, with Senator Adam Schiff bluntly revealing: 'If you stay, you're going to die.' The affluent suburbs of Calabasas and Hidden Hills, home to the Kardashians, have been issued an urgent evacuation order as a new apocalyptic fire tears through West Hills.
Chaos has sparked in Los Angeles County as 9.6million residents were wrongly told to evacuate the raging wildfires.
The entire population was mistakenly told to leave the area Thursday evening, according to Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn.
Hahn took to X shortly after the notification went out, stating that it 'was mistakenly issued,' and was actually meant for the areas affected by the Kenneth Fire in Woodland Hills.
Los Angeles County was falsely told to evacuate Thursday evening after a mass notification was sent out to residents as wild fires rage on in the area.
While most of the Pacific Palisades has been reduced to ash and rubble after it was caught in the path of the devastating California wildfires, the iconic Getty Museum is still standing after implementing a simple routine.
The museum's successful efforts to keep the fire at bay begs the question: why didn't Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass use similar tactics to protect homes and land?
Bass is under pressure to resign amid the ongoing wildfire crisis, with revelations heroic firefighters had trouble accessing enough water to fight infernos and hydrants were empty.
She slashed the LA Fire Department's budget by $17.6million in 2024 after being talked down from $23million in cuts, and officials ignored warnings about the threat of fire.
Getty Trust President and Chief Executive Katherine E. Fleming told the LA Times staff sprung to action as soon as they were aware of a heightened risk of fire.The museum's successful efforts to keep the fire at bay begs the question: why didn't Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass use similar tactics to protect homes and land?
The 75-year-old Oscar winner now joins a growing list of Hollywood figures whose homes have been destroyed as the fires claim at least five lives and force 130,000 evacuations.
The 4-bedroom beachfront estate, once owned by Jeff’s parents—legendary Hollywood actors Lloyd and Dorothy Bridges—was a cherished family legacy, as reported by TMZ.
Jeff Bridges has lost his family's Malibu home to the wildfires that have been ravaging Los Angeles. The property was passed down to Jeff, brother Beau Bridges, and sister Cindy Bridges.The Weather Channel has confirmed it did not share footage of human remains in the aftermath of the LA wildfires after viewers claimed to have spotted a body.
TV watchers said debris spotted on screen resembled a dead person, but The Weather Channel has since told DailyMail.com that it was rubble from a ruined house.
A spokesperson said: 'These social media claims are inaccurate and completely false.
'We have 100% confirmed that the video shows debris from the aftermath of a house fire and nothing else.'
On Wednesday, multiple social media users claimed to have spotted a dead body in the aftermath of fires in Los Angeles.
Allen Media Group, which owns The Weather Channel, later sent photos of the discovery from another angle which clearly show debris.The Weather Channel has rubbished claims it aired footage of a dead body following the California wildfires.
Extraordinary drone footage has highlighted the unprecedented extent of damage across California as once magnificent homes, million-dollar celebrity enclaves and a total of 10,000 structures are reduced to grey, ash covered rubble.
Aerial views from the once-bustling neighborhoods showed a sorry sight - lavish homes obliterated, soot-covered streets, and eviscerated vegetation.
On Thursday, the monstrous wildfires raging through Los Angeles reached the affluent suburbs of Calabasas and Hidden Hills - home to celebrities like the Kardashians
An urgent evacuation order was issued for the upper Los Angeles-Ventura County border as the new apocalyptic inferno - named the Kenneth Fire - tore through West Hills, burning everything in its path.
The death toll has also risen to seven, but the real number is likely higher - as dogs trained to detect human remains were given access to the charred remains of properties in fire-ravaged neighborhoods.
Amid the frantic flurry to get locals out of their scorching Calabasas homes, LAPD officials confirmed the sinister news that this offshoot blaze was in fact sparked by an alleged arsonist - who is now in police custody.
A chilling warning was issued on Thursday night urging locals to get out now, with Senator Adam Schiff bluntly revealing: 'If you stay, you're going to die.'
'If you get an evacuation order, get the hell out,' he said. 'You may think you can outrun a fire, you cannot outrun these fires. If you stay, you're going to die in them.
Extraordinary drone footage highlights the unprecedented extent of damage across southern California .Fire crews walk as they battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles
Mandatory evacuation orders are in place in Calabasas and Hidden Hills, sparking chaos on the roads The Altadena Community Church is pictured the day after it was destroyed by the Eaton Fire
The affluent suburbs of Calabasas and Hidden Hills, home to the Kardashians, have been issued an urgent evacuation order as a new apocalyptic fire tears through West Hills
Extraordinary drone footage highlights the unprecedented extent of damage across southern California as once magnificent homes and a total of 10,000 structures are reduced to grey, ash covered rubbl
The fast moving Kenneth blaze is already encompassing 960 acres and threatening the Malibu Canyon area north of the 101 Freeway near Calabasas, home to Kourtney Kardashian and Will Smith. Kim and Khloe Kardashian live in nearby Hidden Hills.
Mandatory evacuation orders are in place as firefighters drop water bombs from the skies in an effort to contain the blaze, which is being spurred on by strong Santa Ana winds.
Already, the road out of Calabasas is gridlocked with bumper to bumper traffic as locals heed warnings and abandon their homes.
Residents across southern California have been warned for days to have bags full of important documents and possessions packed and ready to grab in an emergency.
The fire was reported as 50 acres at 3:45 pm but had exploded to 791 acres by 4.45pm. By 6pm, it encompassed 960 acres.
Sheriff Robert Luna of Los Angeles County called for 'patience' with official death counts.
'Right now, frankly, we don't know yet,' he said. 'I think the death toll will rise. I hope I'm wrong.'
Across Los Angeles some 180,000 people have been given mandatory evacuation orders, while another 200,000 have been put on alert and warned to consider fleeing their homes
Officials with Los Angeles County say an evacuation order alert for residents near the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills was mistakenly sent countywide on Thursday afternoon.
The alert was only intended for residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills
Fire crews battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles. Police believe this fire was caused by an arsonist A helicopter drops water on the Kenneth wildfire in the Woodland Hills
The Kenneth fire is tearing through the West Hills at a rapid rate, with 900 exhausted first responders pulled from other high priority infernos in southern California to protect homes and try to contain the flame
Across Los Angeles some 180,000 people have been given mandatory evacuation orders, while another 200,000 have been put on alert and warned to consider fleeing their home
Locals have been ordered to evacuate as fires continue to spread across southern California+
The damage from the two largest fires - the Pacific Palisades blaze and Eaton inferno - has been immense. Up to 10,000 structures have been wiped out, officials say
Officials with Los Angeles County say an evacuation order alert for residents near the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills was mistakenly sent countywide on Thursday afternoon. Traffic out of Calabasas is already backing up
The damage from the two largest fires - the Pacific Palisades blaze and Eaton inferno - has been immense. Up to 10,000 structures have been wiped out, officials say.
David Acuna, a spokesman for Cal Fire, provided a chilling new warning for Californians as they look ahead to the future and consider rebuilding their lives.
'There really is no fire season, it's a fire year,' he said. 'I've been doing this for 20 years, and I've never seen it this bad.' Similarly, Pasadena fire chief Chad Augustin said: 'The level of devastation is staggering.'
Neither of the major two fires have been contained whatsoever.
Eaton now covers 13,690 acres, while the larger Palisades fire stretches beyond 17,200 acres.
Embattled LA Mayor Karen Bass held a press conference on Thursday afternoon vowing to prosecute 'to the full extent of the law' any persons caught looting, amid warnings that evacuation orders are mandatory and as strong as curfews, which the city is now also considering implementing.
The high fire weather risk will continue through Friday, National Weather Service Los Angeles meteorologists said Thursday afternoon in a social media post.The latest suburbs under threat, Calabasas and Hidden Hills, are home to the Kardashian
Officials with Los Angeles County say an evacuation order alert for residents near the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills was mistakenly sent countywide on Thursday afternoon. The alert was only intended for residents of Calabasas and Agoura Hills
Santa Ana winds will be moderate to strong Thursday night, keeping the fire weather threat in the area focused on Los Angeles and Ventura County into Friday morning.
“The threat doesn’t end after Friday however,” the post said. Offshore winds will continue into early next week, peaking Sunday as well as Tuesday into Wednesday.
The systemic failures in the deep blue city have led many to wonder how things could've gotten this out of hand - and led many to call for the resignation of Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom.
With many furious people saying that water was unavailable to fire crews, Biden explained that the problems are self-inflicted to avoid further fanning the flames.
'What I know from talking to the governor, there are concerns out there that there's also been a water shortage,' he said in a press briefing Thursday.
'The fact is the utilities, understandably, shut off power because they are worried the lines that carried energy were going to be blown down and spark additional fires.
'When it did that, it cut off the ability to generate pumping the water, that's what caused the lack of water in these hydrants.'
